10 Most Controversial WWE Attitude Era Storylines

6. The Crucifixion of Steve Austin

Look, if you’re going to mess with the Undertaker, you have to expect that he’s going to, at the very least, try to murder you on television. 

Of all the incarnations of The Deadman, his Attitude Era spell as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness was the most sinister, as every week he and his cabal cohorts were doing something satanic to someone somewhere. 

Engaged in a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, ‘Taker and Paul Bearer abducted the Texas Rattlesnake while he was receiving treatment at a ‘local medical centre’, at first trying to literally bury him alive, before deciding on a hearty embalming instead. 

Kane prevented that from happening, so the next week Undi tried to have his brother committed to a mental asylum, only for Austin and the Big Red Machine to turn the tables and have him sent to the loony bin instead, freeing up the evening for them to toss Paul Bearer into the sewer. 

The Undertaker did not take too kindly to this, so the next week he and his druids beat Austin down, carried him up the ramp and attached him to a giant symbol, before raising it in the air. 

It was a cool visual, but many were outraged by the use of religious imagery and WWE were inundated with complaints. 

That segment coupled with, you know, all of those attempted killings, made the storyline one of the most odd and controversial of the era.